(I also recommend adding them to your hot cereal in the morning â so yummy). In this period, eating an appropriate amount of nuts, such as peanuts, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, is good for one's body. After the winter solstice, it will become colder and colder. During Winter Solstice in North China, eating dumplings is essential to the festival. A dinner party just isn't complete without a serving bowl filled to the brim with whipped, cloudy, starchy goodness. The Chinese traditionally eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour, to celebrate Winter Solstice. Here are seven things Chinese traditionally eat during Winter Solstice. The Whos Whats and Whys Behind the Winter Solstice History of the Winter Solstice. Eight Treasures Porridge. When midwinter comes, vital movement begins to decline and calm down. Here are a few foods to treat yourself to on Dec. 21. Arguably, the most important part of the day is going to be figuring out what to eat during the winter solstice. The dumpling is the essential food for people in northern China. In the past, … You knew I'd be sneaking in a plate of greens somewhere on this list. Celebratory activities were officially organised and both government officials and common people took the day off on those days. There are many places in the north where mutton is eaten in Winter Solstice. Dongzhi - Winter Solstice Festival in China, Winter Solstice Folklore: 8 Stories in China, 10 Popular Chinese Foods to Warm You Up in Winter, 16 Special Winter Solstice Rituals in Different Places of China, 10 Interesting Winter Solstice Traditions around the World. After Winter Solstice, it will be colder and colder, so most Winter Solstice foods have the effects of warming body up and enhancing the cold resistance ability of the body. If you love a spud, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Hangzhou people eat glutinous rice cakes, Cantonese people eat roasted meat, Xiamen jiangmu duck, and many places in the south glutinous rice mixed with red beans. Persimmons are as delicious as they are gorgeous sitting on your dining room table. In some areas it is custom that forty varieties of edibles should be served during the ceremony of the night of Chelleh. Share gift link below with your friends and family. : 'the extreme of winter') is one of the most important Chinese and East Asian festivals celebrated by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans during the Dongzhi solar term (winter solstice) on or around December 22 (according to East Asia time). Winter salads are heartier, with heavier veggies like Brussels sprouts and butternut squash added to the dish for an assortment of good-for-you soul food that's super healthy, warming, and, above all, filling. This vegan Butternut Squash Pizza from Minimalist Baker that will give you *~winter … During subsequent dynasties, such as the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices to Heaven and to ancestors. China medicine science believes that these ingredients can strengthen the spleen and warm the stomach, and protect the body against the winter coldness and dryness. It was held to honor Saturnus, the Roman god of agriculture and harvest, and was characterized by the suspension of discipline and reversal of the usual order. But a log-in is still required for our PDFs. Dec. 21 is the shortest day of the year, but it's also the beginning of winter (which is my … They give the midwinter soup a strange name - "brain" - and share it with their neighbors. These items and more are commonly placed on a korsi, which people sit around. It is a Winter Solstice food popular especially in Beijing and Suzhou. The following are six most popular Winter Solstice foods Chinese people eat. We have been experiencing some problems with subscriber log-ins and apologise for the inconvenience caused. The glutinous rice, jujube, walnut, peanut, chicken, mutton, longan, yam, white fungus are often added in the porridge. And I must have pretty good taste, because pomegranates also happen to be served as an Iranian tradition on the night of the Northern hemisphere's winter solstice celebrations, as a symbol of protection against harmful insect bites. Luckily, nighttime is about to get shorter by the increment after Thursday, Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year â which, at least in my opinion, is definitely something to be celebrated. My taste buds live for my mother's mashed potatoes. Turkey and ham are what I would assume to be the most common meats served around this time of year, but if you're celebrating the winter solstice like they do in Northern China, then chances are you're filling your plate with slices of mutton (lamb) this year. On the first day of Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and the longest night in the year, as the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Capricorn. In the southern part, tangyuan and noodles are the festival food. The Eight Treasures Porridge is perfect for cold winter. Saturnalia – In Ancient Rome, the Winter Solstice festival referred to as Saturnalia began on December 17 and lasted for seven days. Court beauty Xishi made wontons to please the king. People with the same surname or of the same clan gather at ancestral temples to worship their ancestors. Mulled Wine. Like other traditional festivals in China, Winter Solstice, or Dongzhi, also has some featured festival foods. In southern China, Tangyuan is the most popular Dongzhi festival food. BEIJING (CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Winter Solstice marks the arrival of the coldest season in the year, yet it is also an important time of the year to the Chinese. But their foods for the festival are different. In Northern China, traditional Winter Solstice foods are mutton and dumplings, while southern people eat glutinous rice balls. Winter Solstice Celebration - How Do Chinese People Celebrate Dongzhi Festival?